AutumnLily

The pouch test really is to help you kick start your weightloss and to help get the carb monkey off your back. Once the stomach is stretched I do not think it can shrink (as before surgery). Have you stopped losing weight? Or has it just slowed down? You will eventually need to increase your calories when you go into maintenence mode to stop the losing process. Possibly start tracking your food again. Get Protein first. Keep carbs to a minimum and get a minimum of 8 glasses of Water a day. I personally drink 10 -12 glasses a day and it really helps with the keeping me from snacking. I just drink water instead of a snack.

Another satisfied Aceves patient right here . My sleeve was $8750 USD and it was worth every penny I spent. I am 5 months post op and living life like I should be by eating healthy and going to start exercising. I am excited to keep on reaching all of my mini goals and finally my end goal. I know I will make it.

Alberta here and had my VSG 5 months ago in Mexicali Mexico. As you can see by my ticker I am doing quite well. If you have any questions ask away there will be someone here that will be able to answer in one way or another. Congratulations on beginning your journey to a healthier new you!

Go to the food and nutrition section in this forum there are three topics pinned at the top one for the best Proteins. One on where to get samples and one on how to make different shakes. Tell your husband to come onto here and he can ask any question he likes. The more informed a person is the less scary the whole thing becomes. Congratulations on starting your journey to a healthier new you!! Good for you for quitting smoking!!

Congratulations Texasmelody on starting your journey to a healthier new you! Your best bet for protien is to get sample packs from different places to try and see what you like. There are varying reviews out there on what is the best Protein (by flavour). Some will like a specific kind whereas others think it tastes like monkey butt. Here is a list that Oregondaisy posted in the food and nutrition section rating protein powders and there are other pinned messages about recipies for Protein shakes and places to get protein samples. Check it all out.

Stick to the recommended diet your doctor has prescribed. That is the best answer I can give you.

Are you taking your Calcium and Iron within 2 hours of each other? As they do not play well together and you really need to have your calcium and then 2 hours later your iron. Also, you should be taking your Calcium in 500 mg doses through out the day as your body only absorbs approx 500mg at a time. Parathyroid has a major role in calcium, phosphate, calcitonin and Vitamin D levels. Did the lab give you the normal range for the parathyroid? Low prealbumin levels can be an indicator that the person is malnourished. Ferritin is the Water soluble and temporary storage form. This is the newly absorbed iron from your diet and not from the longer term storage (our body recylces iron with very little lost daily) form hemosiderin (water insoluble storage). So a decreased absortion of iron is seen in total or partial gastrectomy patients and it can lead to a iron deficiency anemia if you are constantly depleted in your newly formed iron. You will see an effect on iron stores going to zero and serum iron and transferrin saturation decreased with a increased total iron binding capacity. That all being said iron is mainly absorbed by the mucosal cells in the duodenum and depends on the serum iron (low serum iron increased absorption from intestine if available), amount in your diet and the pH in your gut (acid pH will enhance absortion). Vitamin C will enhance absorption phytates (in whole grains) and oxalates (in spinach) will chelate (alter) iron and decrease its absorption. Alcohol will enhance absortion by stimulating HCl secretion by gastric (stomach) cells. Have a talk with you doctor on what you can do to increase your iron stores and ask about the parathyroid as he/she will be able to look at the full picture and assess your needs.

I would suggest if you are needing to fly that you drink plenty of Water on the plane and if you can get up every hour and move around to keep your blood flowing. I flew back from Mexico my flight was about 3 hours. I think there are others whom have had longer flights. Just make sure to keep moving.

Increase your carbs will slow your weight loss. You will have to find what calories and protein/carb/fat ratios you will need when you get to maintenence stage which may take a couple of months to figure out. Usually increasing your carbs will slow your weight loss.

You are doing great! And soon you will be in the 30 BMI. I can not wait to get there myself and watching all you "loosers" that are ahead of me I can see that it is achievable. Keep up the great work.

You go to the site of the one that you like and they are pretty much self explanatory there. You can tell the sites as they advertise on the tickers people have. Mine is with lilyslim.com. Here is the link to the Ticker tutorial on this site.

Best bet is to see you doc to make sure all is ok.

Indy mom hit the nail on the head there. Keep your calories at a place that you know your body will lose weight.

You know it would be better to do it a couple of months apart. If you are both home and feeling yucky at the same time it will make things hard. There is nothing you can do unless she can put her name on a waitlist to get in earlier. All will be better when you are both sleeved and loosing together.

Welcome Glandaaus I am not a revision sleever BUT I am from Alberta. I went self pay in Mexico with Dr. Aceves and it was the best decision I have made. I did not want to wait several years to get WLS for free the money I spent is benefiting me know. You may have to have the band removed and then your stomach might have to heal before you could possibly get the sleeve. I too am curious as to the red Fluid from your port area. Hopefully they find out what is going on soon and fix the problem.

For my fluids I have a H2O on the go Water bottle that holds 74.4 o of water. I mix it up the night before (add little flavour like lemon) and put it in the fridge then I pour off the next day into my insulated drink container and drink from that. At the end of the day I need to have drank the whole main bottle to reset up for the next day. Usually I finish early evening and just fill my insulated drink container for extra water for the day. Keeps me in check. For food I prep different foods (usually on a weekend) and then I put a serving into a snack size sandwich baggy. Freeze on a tray (so they do not stick to each other) and then put the frozen food into a larger freezer baggie to keep the food together. Then I just pull out the food either the night before or 2 nights before to defrost in the fridge. I get a variety of foods that I do not have to cook all the time. And they are portioned out so I do not have to keep track of the food. This works for me very well.

SN......................start weight...................current...............goal.................lbs to goal Autumnlily................269.2.........................263.4................240....................23.4

If you chill them the taste gets a little bit better. I wonder what it would be like on ice? Just and FYI I had some in my cupboard that I have not drank in awhile and the all curdled. I was highly dissappointed as the best before date was for 2012.

Are you able to get in all your fluids? You could be retaining water from the surgery. Allow your body to heal this will soon pass and your weight will start to drop.

I felt the cold pretty much right away but then again it was winter. I am almost 5 months out and it is summer and I am not as hot as I used to be but I am not chilled like I was in winter.

I do have to say I felt like I was eating all the time in the beginning just to get in my protein. As your swelling goes down and you can eat a little more at each serving (and when you are on solids) you will have no problems making your protein goal in 3 meals (with or without snacks). Soon you will be able to not have to worry about having to supplement with shakes.

Can you have laughing cow cheese? Its soft and will give you a bit of Protein to supplement. I also would eat cottage cheese and yah I would mix a small amount of mashed potatoe (not enough to even go near over on my carbs). It was enough to help get the cottage cheese down. I did have shakes in the beginning but once I was on solid foods I tended away and have not had a shake in months. Oh I used to eat tuna during mushies. I would mash it up well with a little bit of mayo and some dill pickle relish.

SN....................................start weight....................current................goal................lbs to goal Autumnlily.........................269.2..............................265.2..................240......................25.2

Good question! I know that the celery can sometimes get bound up in the stomach and create a beozar (spelling?). Same goes for coconut too. Not sure if its just the spines or if its all the fibre throughout the celery. Would be good to find out as I too like celery. (I have eaten it when it is cut up small).